ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said the Supreme Court’s latest judgement, which declared him to be ineligible to hold the position of PML-N chief, did not come as a shock to him because he was expecting a tough verdict.

“The Supreme Court has termed the election laws that were prepared by political parties as person-specific, whereas its own judgements since July 28 are person-specific,” Mr Sharif said during his first interaction with media since the announcement of the verdict on Wednesday.

Speaking to journalists outside the accountability court where he had come with his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Capt Muhammad Safdar to attend proceedings of some corruption references, the former premier expressed apprehension that the top court was “thinking of disqualifying him as a parliamentarian for life”.

He said the court first “snatched my premiership” and through its second judgement it “snatched” his party’s leadership from him. “Now, I am the one left,” he said.

Ex-PM continues to mock judiciary

“My name is Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. If you want to snatch that as well then take that away too,” he said.

Mr Sharif suggested that the top court find a constitutional clause through which it could take his name away. “If you can’t find such a clause then you should consult the Black’s Law Dictionary for the purpose.”

Mr Sharif recalled that the apex court had used the Black’s Law Dictionary to disqualify him as a parliamentarian on July 28, 2017. He claimed that there was no law in the country that could disqualify him as a member of parliament; that’s why the dictionary was used.

“The decisions are being given in revenge and out of malice,” he went on to say, indicating that he was in no mood to give up his aggressive posture against the judiciary.

Mr Sharif then went to the Punjab House, where he addressed his party’s workers from a balcony amidst slogans like “Wazir-i-Azam Nawaz Sharif [Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif].”

In his speech to his party workers too he assailed the judiciary, and cracked some jokes in the process.

Later, before leaving for Lahore, he consulted some senior members of his party and discussed with them the options available to them.

Sources told Dawn that the party had decided to convene a meeting of its Central Working Committee (CWC) in Lahore on Feb 27 or 28.

A four-member committee — comprising Mushahidullah Khan, Pervaiz Rashid, Saad Rafique and Irfan Siddiqui — was constituted to finalise the agenda for the meeting.

The sources said the CWC would consider nominations for the post of party president. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif appeared to a strong contender for the position, they added.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2018